In Scotland, the GPC has taken part in a working group with Scottish Government and health board officials looking at how to address the last-man-standing issue, the results of which ‘will inform ongoing contract negotiations’, a BMA Scotland spokesperson said.

And in Northern Ireland, a BMA spokesperson said this was ‘one of a number of issues’ under discussion with the Health and Social Care Board.

GPC deputy chair Dr Richard Vautrey said the situation in England was less straight forward because unlike health boards, CCGs do not take on the running of failing GP practices.

But he said that GPs fearing being left in that position should urgently contact their LMC to look at local solutions such as being taken over by federations or community providers.

He added: 'There are also a number of companies who are supporting practices in these situations so there are different organisations who could do that.'

Writing to Welsh LMCs to update them on the progress of negotiations, Dr Jones said the Welsh Government has said health boards can already step in to help partners, but the GPC will be pushing for stricter guidance in contract talks.

She said in the letter: ‘They have utilised one or two of these options on occasion, but we need to build on that.

‘They should look to support these practices and reduce the liabilities on the individual. We want to make sure health boards are using all these options to support practices in a consistent way.’

Don't sign any leases unless linked to your GMS/PMS contract. Especially with the very large number of private companies out there willing to build your practice but want Personal liabilites from the GP partners for a full 20-30 year lease. When you lose the contract for any reason (GMC, CQC, parterns leaving and unable to recruit) they will come after your house, car all savings that you might ever have. Beware. you have been warned.

It just boggles my mind that anyone believes that “working at scale” or a salaried corporate model will be MORE efficient than the 4-5 partner skin-in-the-game / c.10k patient practice model that has kept some kind of lid on costs for the last several decades.
This is all going to end very badly. It will end up costing more, contracts will be “handed back” and people will have to pay for a decent GP service if that’s what they want.
The people driving this probably operate at the level of “it worked with the dentists, why not GPs?” Err, no disrespect but the very reason the politicians got away with that one is that toothache doesn’t kill you. Well not easily anyway.

A quick question to the anonymous pharmacist - why do you spend your time on GP massaging boards on Pulse? You don't seem to debate the subject, you just post about how GPs are overpaid and deserve what they get. What happened to you to make you hate GPs so much? You seem a pitiful figure.

Regardless of whether the traditional model of partnership is more or less efficient there are insufficient numbers wanting partnership and the personal liabilities that go with it. The changes of the last few years are accelerating as younger GPs realise most of the property valuation gains have already been realised and they may well get left with it all to be sorted out

Totally agree with 1145
5 GPs working 70 our weeks for 110k as partners.
Is much more efficient than 5 GPs working 38 hour weeks as employees for 70k
OR 9 GPs working 38 hour weeks as employees for 70k.

Speak to any junior doctor and the events of the last 12 months have changed how they view their role. Quite rightly they no longer have any sense of duty to the employer or NHS as a whole. When they become GPs and consultants employers will not be able to bully them in to working 60 hours in a full time role.

People will look back on this time as an massive expensive mistake for healthcare in the UK.